Fitness Trends

How Well Do You Know Your Herbs and Spices?

April 17, 2013, 12:00AM

When it comes to feeding the family healthy foods (that they’ll actually eat), you can’t go wrong with herbs and spices. For starters, herbs are easy to grow in temperate climates (spices are a little more difficult since they tend to originate in specific climates). You can set up a windowsill or backyard garden and grow a wide variety of the greens. Kids tend to eat what they grow, which increases the odds they’ll be willing to give their food a chance. Second, herbs bring a blast of flavor to healthy foods, thus increasing the taste without having to load on the calories and salt. And, not surprisingly, both kids and adults like to eat what tastes good. Finally, herbs and spices are loaded with nutrients, giving your health a boost, too.

You can mix and match herbs and spices to transform healthy, but bland meals (like grilled chicken breast and steamed vegetables) into a cultural masterpiece. For instance, Dr. Mary Saph Tanaka created the following vegetable, herb and spice combinations, which you can use to give a basic meal a cultural flare:

Indian: garlic + onion + curry powder + cinnamon

Asian: garlic + scallions + sesame + ginger + soy sauce

Italian: garlic + basil + parsley + oregano

Middle Eastern: garlic + onion + mint + cumin + saffron + lemon

Mexican: cumin + onion + oregano + cilantro

So, how well do you know your herbs and spices? See how many you recognize and then learn where each comes from and what they’re used for.

Cilantro (coriander), annual flowering herb, can be cultivated for leaves, seeds, flower, and roots. May have “soapy” versus “herby” taste, based on genetics of taster. Uses: often used in Latin American, Indian and Chinese dishes, in salsa and guacamole, stir fry, grilled chicken or fish; best when used fresh

Tarragon, flowering tops and leaves of a perennial herb, often called “dragon herb.” Minty “anise-like” (resembles licorice) flavor. Uses: chicken, fish, egg dishes; one of four “fine herbs” of French cooking

Thyme, leaves and flowering tops of a shrub-like perennial of the mint family. Biting, sharp, spicy, herbaceous flavor; blends well with other herbs. Uses: meats, soups and stews

Natalie Digate Muth, MD, MPH, RD, FAAP is the Senior Advisor for Healthcare Solutions for the American Council on Exercise, a board-certified pediatrician and Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, a Diplomat of the American Board of Obesity Medicine, registered dietitian and board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, and ACE Certified Health Coach. She is the author of "Eat Your Vegetables and Other Mistakes Parents Make: Redefining How to Raise Healthy Eaters" and the textbook "Sports Nutrition for Health Professionals." She has been ACE certified since 1998.

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